Ever since my separation after a marriage of 25 years, I have been struggling with depression. Add to that what the psychologists call a low frustration threshold, I really struggle when things don't quite work out. The triggers are when things happen that I cannot control - examples, Donald Trump tweets knocks markets; drone attack on Saudi oilfields OR hack attack on my website OR low response rates from emails bought through solo ads. Of course, there is a lot i can control BUT my mind goes off the rails when stuff is out of my control.

It took me quite some time to work out what was going on. I had a psychology counsellor for a while. I read a couple of really good books around cognitive behaviour and books of stories from depression sufferers and guides to a calmer mind; my doctor helped me with relaxation techniques; I use exercise and the bush a lot to relax my mind.

I now have a fairly good grasp of my story - pains in my chest; lack of motivation; rising headaches; endless scrolling on Facebook and Twitter; distraction into trivial tasks or unimportant tasks, procrastination. It took quite some time. Even though I know exactly when I slide into the black hole, I cannot always get myself out. I have taken to doing small tasks to get a sense of achievement going. My orchids are doing better as a result. I do get a few loads of washing done in a week. And I do cook a lot of dinners - almost every day.

Now you may be feeling the same sort of challenges. I found this article the other day from the Journaling PLR which might help. It is all about journaling - just writing stuff down. Here are the main threads.

Keeping any type of journal will help with pinning down and improving most mental health issues. You might need to choose a specific type of journal depending on what you think the drivers are - always pays to look for the drivers.

* Improve your Mood. A gratitude journal helps with moods. Just write down each day what your are grateful for.

* Increase Your Sense of Well-Being. Writing stuff down helps you to start seeing issues in a more detached way - because you are thinking about it. Almost like a 3rd person.

* Reduce Symptoms of Depression. Depression is something different from sadness. Writing it all down can make it seem less bad so that you can feel better. Writing it down also helps to identify if and when you need help from a counsellor. If the feeling does not go away as you reflect on it - find a counsellor.

* Reduce Anxiety. Anxiety is designed to help us get away from immediate danger. It triggers the "fight or flight" response. So it is a very important feeling. Out of control it is a disaster. If each time you have that anxious feeling you choose to write in your journal how you are feeling and why, you’ll start to understand it better. From understanding there is a chance to learn to control the way your respond.

* Lower Avoidance Behaviours. I use avoidance all the time = stay away from people, for example. When you write it out, it helps you get the feelings out, isolate them and then do the thing you were avoiding anyway.

* Sleep Better. Pouring your heart out into a journal is a great way to get things off your chest. Write down what you’re thankful for before bedtime and go to sleep thinking of that. It works.

* Grow to be a Kinder Person. Letting go of judgement for self improves your thoughts for others also. It is a lot easier to be kind when you do not judge.

* Improve Your Memory. This is pretty obvious. Writing it down forces your brain to store stuff differently = easier to remember later.

I wrote some journaling tips the other day. These are the key ones to remember today - apply them like rules

- do it every day to create a habit,
- keep it private unless you decide to let your therapist see it or you decide to use it to help others. This is for you and only you.

That is it for today

Be kind, be thoughtful, write it down and give thanks.

Mark

ps I found this free Journaling PLR to be helpful. Get yours here.
https://mymark.mx/Journaling